The ancient Olympic Games (Ancient Greek: τὰ Ὀλύμπια, ta Olympia ), or the ancient Olympics, were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. … See more

Olympia lies in the valley of the Alfeiós River (Romanized as Alpheus) in the western part of the Peloponnese, today around 18 km (11 mi) away from the Ionian Sea but perhaps, in antiquity, half that distance. The Altis, as the sanctuary as was originally … See more

The ancient Olympics were as much a religious festival as an athletic event. The games were held in honor of the Greek god Zeus, and on the middle day of the games, See more

Apparently starting with just a single foot race, the program gradually increased to twenty-three contests, although no more than twenty featured … See more

To the ancient Greeks, it was important to root the Olympic Games in mythology. During the time of the ancient games their origins were … See more

Prehistory
Areas around the Mediterranean had a long tradition of physical activities, eventhough they did not seem to hold regular competitions, … See more

Establishment
Power in ancient Greece became centered on the city-state (polis) in the 8th century BC. The city-state was a population center organized into a self-contained political entity. Every city-state worshiped the same See more